The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-02-17
GOVERNORS vi EssAGE.
AS Read TO the TwO Houses Of
The Legislature.
Sound Suggestions on the Subject of
fOrmatiOn Ofthe
State University.


nit to your Honorable Bodies, this,
my first official communication touch
ing the affairs OF the Commonwealth,
offering such remarks and suggestions
as l trust may be calculated to pro-
mote its best interests
l congratulate you upon the TACT
that the circumstances under which
you have met are unusually auspi-
cious.
Your meeting is signalized by an
epoch of decided improvement and
progress,
Our beloved State, although not yet
advanced to that full measure OF
growth and prosperity of which she is
so capable, and to which she is destin.
ed, is, nevertheless, in better condition
now than at any time since the civil
war
Her outlook for the future is full Of
encouragement and hope.
The great question of our public
debt, once so prolific of embarrass
ments and vexations to our people
has been settled and forevere Eliminated
from our politics,
A new vigorous spirit of industrial
enterprise and energy has aroused
our people from state of enforced
lethargy. Large accessions OF immi
grafton and capital from other sec
tions of the country, attracted by ou
immense natural resources, and NJ
longer warned away by forbiddins
circumstances, have added volume tC
our industrial forces, and the CRANE
process Of our material development
has already fairly set in. Our vas
treasures of coal, iron, marble, anC
other minerals are being opened
Large numbers of furnaces are in op
eration, and many more are continu
ally being built
The production OF Bossemer stee
from our magnetic ores (Which ar,
practically free from phosprorus), il
no longer an experiment, and will, eI,
long, assume extensive proportions.
Numberless foundries, machin,
shop, factories, and mills, for the con
version of the iron, steel marble, lum
Der, wool, cotton, tobacco, grain, anl
other raw materials into manuiactur
ed articles, and already at work an(
in process Of erection in almost ever,
section OF the State. Railroad enter
prise is keeping pace with these ac
tivities, and is projectinglin through
regions Of the State as yet untouched
! by capital and labor, though richest o
all in mineral and other resources
Agriculture is progre3singin the ador
tion Of improved methods and ma
chinery, and in the realization of bet
ter results in all its departments
Stock-raising has advanced to a de
gree which already entities Tennesse
to take the front rank in the SoutI
for the production OF thoroughbre
and graded domestic animals. Co
leges, schools, and churches hav
greatly multiplied throughout tn
State, and education, religion, publ
morals, and the social condition of tn
people have sensibly improved.
But while this is all substantial
true, much yet remains TO be done fo
the State. Indeed, the very proce,
of our growth and development cor
tinually adds breadth and novelty t
the scope of our necessities and dute
The last and recent message Of m
honorable predecessor, Governor Bat,
is full, exhaustive, and complete
His task, well performed, has lighter
: ed my duties on this occasion and lo
it unnecessary for me to enter int
any extended discussion Of public a
. fairs already so ably treated by him
| feel it my duty, however, to yel
ture few suggestions on sever
, topics OF commanding Importance,
THE REVENUE LAWS.